The ancestors of the Celtic name Merrow came from the rugged landscape of Wales. This old, proud name derives from the personal name Meuric, which is the Welsh form of Maurice. The surname Merrow is ultimately derived from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means "dark." In Britain, Maurice was the learned form of the name, while Morice was the common form.

Merrow Early Origins

The surname Merrow was first found in Anglesey (Welsh: Ynys Môn), a Welsh-speaking island, and present day County of Isle of Anglesey, located at the northwestern extremity of Wales, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Merrow Spelling Variations

Merrow Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Merrow has occasionally been spelled Merrick, Merick, Meyrick, Meynik and others.

Merrow Early History

Merrow Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merrow research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1505, 1566, 1538, 1599, 1576, 1599, 1556, 1601, 1563, 1640, 1636, 1713, 1674, 1712, 1714, 1666 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Merrow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merrow Early Notables (pre 1700)

Merrow Early Notables (pre 1700)

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Rowland Meyrick (1505-1566), born at Bodargan in the parish of Llangadwaladr, Anglesey, a Welsh bishop of Bangor; John Meyrick (or Merick, Mericke, or Merrick), M.A. (1538-1599), an Anglican clergyman who served in the Church of England as the Bishop of Sodor...

Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Merrow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Merrow In Ireland

Merrow In Ireland

Some of the Merrow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Merrow: Henry Merrick, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Francis Merrick, who settled in Virginia in 1654; John Merrick, who arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his servants.

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X).

MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.

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The Merrow Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Merrow Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.